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New York City Council
A report and map of historical African American burial sites
Read summaries and jump into the video at the segment start.
Chair Williams opens the hearing and introduces Proposed Intro 220-A, sponsored by Majority Whip Hanks, which would require the city to identify and commemorate historical African-American burial sites. She notes a recent incident in Queens where such a site was paved over, underscoring the bill's relevance.
Chair Williams introduces Resolution 82-A, sponsored by Councilmember Amanda Farías, which would celebrate the Feast of San Gennaro and Ferragosto Festival annually in September to honor Italian immigrants and Italian Americans' contributions to New York City.
Chair Williams introduces Resolution 402, her own resolution declaring March 6 as Carmen de Lavallade Day in New York City, celebrating her contributions to dance, theater, diversity, and artistic excellence in the performing arts.
Chair Williams introduces Resolution 429, also sponsored by herself, recognizing the life and legacy of Alvin Ailey and honoring his contributions to American dance and the founding of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Chair Williams introduces Resolution 6, sponsored by the Speaker, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and Proposed Resolution 237-A, sponsored by Councilmember Crystal Hudson, calling on Congress to pass the Performing Artist Tax Parity Act.
Councilmember Crystal Hudson delivers remarks on her resolution calling on Congress to pass the Performing Artist Tax Parity Act, arguing that working artists are essential to New York City's culture and economy and deserve a tax system reflecting their realities. She urges colleagues to vote aye.
Councilmember Amanda Farías presents Resolution 82, celebrating the Feast of San Gennaro and Ferragosto Festival in Manhattan's Little Italy and the Bronx's Arthur Avenue. She describes the festivals as living histories of Italian immigrant families and notes it took a year to get the resolution on the calendar.
Majority Whip Kamillah Hanks delivers remarks on Intro 220-A, thanking scholars, advocates, and descendants who pushed the bill forward. She explains the bill gives the city responsibility to locate, document, protect, and recognize historical African-American burial sites, calling it one important step toward a larger promise.
Chair Williams delivers remarks on her two resolutions honoring Carmen de Lavallade and Alvin Ailey, describing how they met in high school in Los Angeles, how de Lavallade brought Ailey to Lester Horton's dance classes, and their early years dancing together in Horton's racially integrated company.
Chair Williams continues her remarks, describing how de Lavallade and Ailey moved to New York to dance on Broadway, Ailey's founding of his own company, his choreography of roles for de Lavallade including in Revelations, and their long and brilliant careers. She thanks committee staff before calling the roll.
Committee Clerk William Martin calls the roll on all coupled items. Chair Williams and Councilmembers Louis, Hudson, Ossé, Stevens, Ung, and Maloney each vote aye.
Clerk Martin announces the result: seven in the affirmative, zero in the negative, no abstentions. All items are approved by the full committee. Chair Williams closes the hearing.